How One Founder Engineered His Freedom from Back Office to a Multi-Million Pound Exit with Campbell Fraser
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I’m joined by Campbell Fraser, telecoms consultant turned founder, turn chairman for an honest conversation about growing, systemising, and successfully exiting his consultancy.We unpack Campbell’s journey from working solo out of a client’s back office to leading a 40-person team and engineering a £ Multi-Million exit. He shares the unfiltered realities of delegation, firing a misaligned exec team, and why most founders wait too long to remove themselves from the business. This is a masterclass in scaling up without burning out and in building a consultancy that works without you. If you’re a founder thinking about stepping back, selling, or just building with more freedom in mind, this is your playbook.0:00 – Introduction to the Consultancy Growth Podcast 01:25 – From solo consultant to launching a full-service consultancy 04:51 – Why the early years were “say yes, figure it out later” 08:43 – How values and vision turned a scrappy team into a real company 12:12 – The first major mistake: hiring the wrong MD 17:48 – Firing your leadership team (and surviving it) 21:06 – Building an EOS-based business with operational maturity 26:14 – Becoming exit-ready: stepping back and making yourself redundant 31:40 – What PE buyers really want to see in a consultancy 36:22 – Dealing with the emotional side of letting go 42:17 – Advice for founders stuck in delivery 47:05 – Post-exit life and what’s next for Campbell FraserHost: Craig HerdGuest: Campbell Fraser
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54:19
He Turned a £3M Stale Consultancy Into a £24M Referral Machine with Mark Palmer
Mark Palmer shares how he transformed OEE Consulting from a £3 million business into a £24 million consultancy, earning recognition as one of the Sunday Times Top 100 Employers and winning the MCA Award for Client Service.Mark highlights key inflection points in the business's growth, the importance of recruitment and team dynamics, and the need for a strong value proposition. He emphasises the significance of understanding client needs and delivering value.00:00 Transforming Company Culture on Day One10:23 Key Inflection Points in Business Growth17:32 Navigating Challenges and Protecting Core Values22:01 The Importance of Recruitment and Team Dynamics29:11 Rethinking Business Development Strategies34:44 Delivering Value and Understanding Client NeedsConnect with Mark Palmer Connect with Craig Herd
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37:46
The Neuroscience of High-Performing Teams: Why Trust, Psychological Safety & Play Matter with Mark Ashton & Ingmar Elm
Mark Ashton and Ingmar Elm are cofounders of MAD Business, a consultancy focused on delivering powerful experiential learning days to improve team cohesion and performance. MAD Business was founded in 2024 to provide MAD events in the UK and other countries outside Estonia. MAD itself was originally founded in Estonia in 2002 and has delivered more than 2,000 team learning days for over 500 client organisations of all sizes. Ingmar has been a lead coach for MAD since 2004.We unpack the neuroscience of high performance from how emotions overpower logic, to why psychological safety isn't a “soft” concept but the hard foundation of innovation and resilience. We talk about the real cost of hidden fear in consultancy cultures, how founders can accidentally sabotage performance despite good intentions, and what leaders must do to build trust that scales. Mark and Ingmar also share practical tools and frameworks like “experience days” and behavioural pattern diagnosis to help you unlock the true performance potential of your team.Whether you're looking to exit, scale, or simply lead more effectively, this episode is a must-listen for founders who want their consultancy to thrive well beyond themselves.Why teams, not individuals, are the true units of performanceHow the brain’s emotional wiring affects collaborationThe neuroscience of trust, decision-making and conflictWhat psychological safety really is and how to create itHow founders unintentionally destroy safety and performance“Experience days” and filming teams to reveal behavioural patternsThe power of collective awareness and creating new team normsBuilding a culture that flows (not one that grinds)How to transition from founder-led control to shared leadershipWhat high-performing teams do differently consistentlyLinkedin: Mark AshtonLinkedin: Ingmar ElmWebsite: https://mad-business.com/
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40:37
How Military Thinking Builds Stronger Consultancies (and Calmer Founders) with Adam Wellesley Wood
In this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I’m joined by Adam Wellesley Wood, founder and CEO of W2 Strategy, for a conversation that challenges conventional thinking on leadership and strategy.We explore the core values behind W2 Strategy: boldness and humility. Adam unpacks common misconceptions about strategy, why many plans stall at implementation and shares how momentum, reflection time, and founder-led change are non-negotiable for sustainable progress.Drawing from his military background, Adam explains how consultancies can embed capability without building dependency, design value that goes beyond revenue, and stay resilient in a fast-shifting market.If you’ve ever felt your strategy looks good on paper but struggles to gain traction, this episode is for you.00:00 - Introduction to the Consultancy Growth Podcast01:44 - The Core Values of Boldness and Humility05:01 - Understanding Strategy and Its Myths07:56 - Closing the Gap Between Strategy and Implementation12:00 - Shifting Focus from Activity to Progress16:31 - The Role of Founders in Leadership18:31 - Military Principles in Consultancy23:18 - Embedding Capability Without Dependency28:46 - Designing Value Beyond Revenue33:24 - The Future of Consultancy and Final Thoughts
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37:22
How to Build a Consultancy Team That Scales to £10 Million with Caroline Boston
Host: Craig Herd Guest: Caroline BostonIn this episode of the Consultancy Growth Podcast, I’m joined by Caroline Boston, Managing Director of New Minds. We dive into the critical role people strategy plays in scaling a consultancy to £10 Million and why getting your organisational design right is essential for sustainable growth.We unpack the patterns that hold consultancies back as they scale, from over-relying on founder relationships to under-investing in career paths and leadership succession. Caroline shares practical strategies on balancing employees and associates, building structures that support commercial growth, and retaining top talent without overpromoting. We also explore how benchmarking roles and salaries can protect profitability and how founders can step back without losing momentum.If you’re navigating the challenges of growing a high-performing consultancy team, this episode is packed with strategic insights you can apply immediately.Topics – Why People Strategy Must Sit at the Heart of Business Strategy – The Patterns That Stall Consultancy Growth Beyond £1M – Organisational Design: Building a Structure That Scales – Employees vs Associates: How to Get the Balance Right – Career Paths, Culture, and Retaining Top Talent – Preparing for Leadership Succession: Growing Leaders Internally– Benchmarking Salaries and Roles: Protecting Your Profit Margins – Founder Transition: Replacing Yourself Without Losing Momentum – First Steps to Build a Scalable People Strategy
Hosted by Craig Herd, this podcast is your ultimate guide to scaling your consultancy. Tune in for strategic insights, candid conversations with industry experts, and stories from seasoned consultancy founders. Uncover the real drivers of success and actionable advice to fast-track your growth. Subscribe now and take your consultancy to the next level.
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